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Wamda Capital launches $75m MENA growth stage venture fund

The fund has invested in three companies including News Group International, Jamalon and LittleBits Electronics

Construction dispute values in the Middle East up 88% in 2014

Failure in administering the contract, poorly drafted claims and biased professionals were some of the top reasons for construction disputes in the Middle East, a new study shows

Gulf markets steady as investors await Greek referendum

Oil prices also subdued stock markets after Brent crude slid $1.75 to $60.32 a barrel on Friday

Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen cities kill 16 – Houthis

The United Nations last week designated the Yemen war as a Level 3 humanitarian crisis, its most severe category

WhatsApp can officially hide online status, announces rollout of Communities

Tapping the App market

In the increasingly tech-savvy Gulf mobile apps are becoming big business

ISIL weaves web of support in Gulf Arab states

Kuwait attack has raised concerns about the number of young Saudi men willing to travel to attack Shi’ites in smaller Gulf countries, taking advantage of the visa-free travel

France bets on Arab Sunni states as Iran nuclear deal nears

France, which holds close ties with Sunni Arab states, has arguably been the most demanding among the six powers negotiating a final accord

More than 100 dead as militants, Egyptian army clash in North Sinai

The militants’ assault was the second high-profile attack in Egypt this week after a prosecutor general was killed in Cairo

Top 10 countries with best residence-by-investment schemes

The UAE ranked 15th in an index rating countries’ residency-in-return-for-investment programmes

MENA internet traffic to grow six-fold by 2019- study

The number of users in the MENA region is expected to reach 425m by 2019, a new study by Cisco forecast

Stock news: Gulf markets fall on Greece turmoil

Dubai’s stock index slid 1.3 per cent, heading for a second straight daily close below its 200-day average

Saudi-led jets bomb Yemen as Hadi government rejects new talks

Talks in Geneva last week ended without a resolution to the conflict, which has claimed more than 2,800 lives

ISIL supporters tweet alleged photos of Tunisia hotel shooter

The photos provide a view from the rear of a man walking down a street and holding an assault rifle

Coordinated or not, attacks show ISIL’s growing reach

The ultra-radical group clearly now poses a threat far beyond its heartland in Syria and Iraq as recent attacks show

Gulf states get more assertive as Iran edges closer to signing nuclear deal

Six world powers and Iran have started talks to reach a final agreement that swaps increased transparency for sanctions relief by June 30

As factions fight, Yemenis suffer hunger, disease, fear

Cut off from the world, caught between the fighting by Saudi-led coalition and rebels, Yemen’s 25 million people are prey to hunger, disease and a fear of death.

Oil price drop is a major challenge for the GCC’s construction sector

The construction sector’s contribution to the region’s GDP almost remained flat from 5.5 per cent in 2010 to 5.7 per cent in 2014

Middle Eastern buyers to account for up to 30% of London’s home sales

Investors from the region are returning to the UK’s real estate market as they look to tap into pent-up demand

Russia’s Lukoil says Saudi Aramco wants to raise stake in Luksar

Luksar is a joint venture between Aramco and Russia’s Lukoil

Germany frees Al Jazeera journalist despite Egypt’s request

Ahmed Mansour was released after Egypt was unable to dispel concerns about the extradition process

Al Jazeera journalist says surprised by arrest in Germany

Ahmed Mansour, a talk show host on the channel’s Arabic service, was detained in Germany after an international police warrant was issued by Egypt.

Cyber war: Is the Middle East prepared?

From the dark net to increased vulnerability through smart city adoption, is the Middle East ready to fight the next phase of cyber crime?

In Gulf, family business empires wary of going public

Many family firms think they can continue to prosper by modernising themselves without big changes to ownership or control.

OPEC+meeting

OPEC revenues plunge 11%, fall below $1 trillion in 2014

The oil cartel’s revenues fell from $1.112 trillion in 2013 to reach $993.3 bn in 2014, a new report shows

Dubai among world’s top 25 most expensive cities

Dubai and Abu Dhabi were also ranked most expensive cities for expats in the Middle East, according to a new survey

Al Qaeda in Yemen execute 2 Saudis accused of spying for America

Two Saudis, named al-Mutairi and al-Khaledi, were reportedly killed

Egypt court sentences Mursi, Brotherhood leaders to death

The court last month sought the death penalty for Mursi after he was convicted of killing and kidnapping policemen

Egypt says New Suez Canal to open Aug 6, eyes economic boost

The army began work 10 months ago on the $8 billion canal in order to expand trade along the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

US sends six Yemeni prisoners from Guantanamo to Oman for resettlement

The six men sent to Oman were identified as low-risk detainees cleared years ago for transfer.

Egyptian court jails 23 men over killing of Shi’ite Muslims – sources

The four victims, one of whom was a prominent cleric, were killed in June 2013 when a mob stormed a house in a small village near Cairo.